Wlcoming your new kitten

WE are so excited you have chosen An Action Farms Kitten for your new family member. In preparation for your new baby here are some helpful tips to ensure a smooth transition. 

. Make baby an area that is quiet and ready with all their new items. Place food and water and litter all in their room with plenty of space between them but in proximity. We recommend porcelain or stainless-steel food and water bowls. Kittens and Cats can get whisker fatigue from eating out of a bowl that is too small so make sure the bowl is tilted at an angle or shallow and we recommend a plate for their wet food. 

. Inspect all new toys and bedding for any stray strings or parts that could be chewed off and ingested or swallowed. Some toys are only made for active play time and if played with while unsupervised can lead to ingestion and intestinal blockage or Intestinal damage.

. We recommend allowing your kitten free choice of wet food 2-3 times a day. We also recommend incorporating goats’ milk into their wet food to promote weight gain and moisture intake 

. We use Nutrina Loyal Life For their kibble. This seems to be hard for some families to find. If you cannot find this formula we recommend transitioning to Science Diet Kitten Formula. This seems to be the easiest transition for kittens with the least amount of tummy trouble. We recommend waiting 1-2 weeks before transitioning food to allow baby to adjust to their new environment. Slowly adding kibble to their bowl daily until it is completely changed over works well. 

. Our kittens are used to well water. We recommend using filtered water or bottled water and transitioning it to your local water as well over a 2-week period. We recommend waiting 1-2 weeks to transition. 

. While babies are litter trained, we do recommend keeping babies confined to their new space when you are not with them. This solidifies the correct area to go potty. They are still babies and learning about their new home which can cause them to not remember where their box is or not realize they need to go potty until it is too late and they are too far from their litter box. Regularly taking them in to have potty time in their box will help with having accidents. Should babies have an accident we recommend cleaning the area with a cleaner like resolve and using an enzyme remover like angry orange to prevent baby from having any litter box confusion. 

. We recommend pine pellet litter for their litter box. It is natural, cost effective, prevents mats in the hair between toes, doesn’t track as badly as other types of litter, and works well for odor control. If you choose a different litter, we recommend having two litter boxes to transition, once baby is consistently using the other litter medium you can remove the pelleted litter. 

. Your kitten is going to be exposed to a lot of changes over the next few weeks, some of these include changes in schedules, environment, altitude, climate, allergens, humidity, and lots of new people. This often results in stuffy noses and runny eyes. Adding Their Nuvet supplement is very important while they grow and adjust. They may also need to see their vet for antibiotics. Monitor your kitten closely, if they are not wanting to eat, drink, and are not as playful You need to seek immediate veterinary care. PLEASE ensure you activate your 30 complementary health insurance as soon as your new kitten arrives home. Should unexpected veterinary care arise, and the health insurance has not been activated, we will not offer our health guarantee for your kitten. 

.  Health insurance is incredibly important to the health and wellness of your Kitten. With the overinflated costs of veterinary care, it is vital to protect your investment in your new kitten by continuing health insurance on your kitten as pure bred cats are more prone to chronic health conditions as they age.  

. Diarrhea and Runny stool are also common due to stress and new changes. If kittens develop diarrhea, it is likely giardia or coccidia which often develop when new puppies and kittens go home even with prophylactic treatments while they are with us. Using Albon and Safeguard together for 5 days is our recommended treatment if this should occur. If your veterinarian requires a fecal and the fecal returns negative, we strongly urge you to request the treatment despite the negative test. We also recommend toltrazuril if safeguard and Albon do not resolve the issue. Fecal testing, especially with kittens, we have learned, can often show false negatives and this treatment is safe and has no negative side effects if given even prophylactically, which is what we do.

. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to reach out to us at 417-259-2267. Your Vet is also welcome to reach out for any additional history or questions.